Equalizing harrow hitch



Jan. 2, 1923.

1,440,922. W. F. KELLER ET AL.

EOUALIZING HARROW} HITCH. FILEDSEPT- 10, I921.

Patented .la 2,

WILLIAM: F. KELLER, F IVZINNEA'EOLIS, Ia IINNESGTA, AND FRANK l. BAUFIANN, OF

LIDGERWOGD, NilllRFlllE-l". DAKOTA, ASSIGNGTRS TO KELLER MANUFACTURING COB/[- PANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MENNESGEA, A CQRPGRATIGN 0F MINNESOTfL.

EQUALIZING HABEOW' EI'ICH.

Application filed. September 10, 1921. Serial No. 499,650.

= To all 207mmc't may concern Be it known that we, VHLLIAM F. KELLER and FRANK J. BAUMANN, both citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Minneapolis, in the county oi Trlennepin and State of lilinnesota, and Lidgerwood, in the county of l tichland, State North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful I111 pr'ovements in Equalizing Harrow Hitches; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of what is generally known as barrow hitches, and to such ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and delined in the claims.

These so-called barrow hitches incluce a long beam, to which the .harrows are attached on the rear side, and to which, draft-equalizing connections are attached on the front side. lVhen these drag beams are made very long for dra ging a large number of barrows, they are usually provided with detachable beam extensions, and such long beams squire the draft strain to be applied thereto at various different points on the main beam and beam extensions. This has usually been accomplished by either three or four point attachments, but our invention provides a novel way of applying live point .ent, with one point of attachment the center of the main beam, one point of attachment near each outer end oi? the main beam, and one pointof attachment at an outer port-ion of each beam e1:- tension.

The invention furtherinvolves equalizing devices for properly distributing the strains at the several points of attachment so as to prevent excessive strains at the joints between the outer ends of the main beam and the beam extension. This same type of connect-ion is important, however, even it the entire beam, including its so-called beam extensions, be made in one piece or as a single structure.

The invention is illustrated in the accent panyingz drawings, wherein like characters indicate lilreparts throughout the several views.

D .2 A neieriing to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the beam andequalizing connections thereto; and

F1g. 2 is a fragmentary plan illustrating a. slightly modified construction. 7

The main beam 1 is provided on its rear s de with suitably secured devices. such links 2, to which the barrows, not shown. may be attached in the customary way. I

The beam extensions 3 are shown as rigidly but detachably connected to the ends of the main beam 1 by metal straps l bolted or otherwise secured thereto. beam 1 and extensions 3 are preferably made of wood. The said beam extensions are provided, on their rear sides, with suitably attached links 5 or the like, to which also harrows may be attached.

On the front side of the main beam. at the center thereof, is a guide sheave or wheel 6 journaled to metal straps 7 riveted, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to said main beam. Short links 8 are pivoted to the outer ends of the main beam 1, the same, as shown, being attached to eyebolts 9 that also serve to clamp the joint straps l to said beam. Longer links 10 are pivota-ily connected to the outer portions of the beam extensions 3, the same, as shown, being connected to eyebolts 11 applied to said beam extensions. The front ends 01 the co-operating links 8 and 10 are pivoted to the opposite ends of short equalizing levers 12-, to the intermediate portions of which linlrs 18 are attached. Rings 14L loosely connect the ends of the links 13 to the links or rods 15, the ends of which latter are shown as connected by a chain 16 that runs against the sheaves 6. Either two or three horse eveners or equalizers are adapted to be connected to the rings or links 1d.

The so-called links 8, 10 and 15 act entirely in tension, and, hence, in themselves might be flexible, but are preferably stil'l' rods because the latter structure is less liable to get tangled up than the more flexible structure suggested.

Under the pulling strain applied to the rings 14:, the pulling strain will be equalized or applied to the drag beam equal or on opposite sides of its longitudinal center, and,

moreover, the pulling strain applied to the points Where said links are attached, to Wit: at the ends of the main beam and at the outer portions of the beam extensions. Preterably, the links 13 are connected closely to the links 10 and to the links 8, because the angle of pull, at the ends of the main beam, is less than the angle of pull at the outer portions of the beam extensions. By the connections described and the arrangement illustrated, the pulling strain will be distributed to thedrag beam in a manner that Will have the least tendency to bend the same, and Will reduce to a minimum the bending st am at the joints connecting the main beam and beam extensions,

The coi'istruction illustrated in Fig. 2 is lilte that illustrated in Fig. LeXcept-that approximately triangular rings 12 are used instead 01"- the equalizing levers 12 to connect the links 8, 10 and 18. These rings 12*, to a considerable extent, operate as equalizing levers, but the strain cannot therein be as Well distributed as through the equalizing levers 12.

Obviously, this improved device is of simple construction and low cost. Its efiiciency has been demonstrated in practice.

What We claim is:

1. The combination with a drag beam, of a flexible equalizing draft connection operatively attached to the central portion of the drag beam and having levers at its opposite ends, and drag connections between the opposite ends of the equalizing levers and the ends of the drag beam.

2. The combination with a main drag beam having detachable beam extensions at its ends, of a flexible equalizingdraft connection operativelv attached to the central portions of said main beam and having equalizing levers at its opposite ends, and draft connections between the opposite ends 01" said equalizing levers and the outer and off said main beam and said beam extensions.

3. The combination With a main drag beam having detachable beam extensions at its ends, of a guide sheave attached to the central portion or" the main beam, relatively short and long links connected respectively to the outer ends of said main beam and to the outer portion oi said beam extensions, equalizing levers pivotally connected to the ends of cooperating long and short links, laterally spaced coupling rings, links connecting said coupling-rings to the intermediate portion of co-operating equalizing levers, and a fiexibleequalizing draft connection attached to said coupling rings at its ends With its intermediate portion running against said guide sheave.

l. The combination With a main drag beam having attached beam extensions at its ends, of a flexible equalizing draft connec tion operatively attached to the central portion of said main beam and having equalizing coupling devices at its opposite ends, and draft connections between said equalizins); coupling devices and the outer ends of said main beam and beam extensions.

In testimony whereof, We tures.

WILLIAM F. KELLER. FRANK J. BAUMANN.

affix our signa- P 

